Tseng's Cetra Surveillance Plan
by Mint-9
Summary: Tseng is out on what seems to be a normal reconnaissance mission, like he usually does with Aerith, but there is something different about today. Tseng's PoV.


Zack left for Nibelhiem a year ago this day. He hadn't had the heart to tell her anything about what had transpired for the unlucky Soldier that fateful day, when Sephiroth went mad and torched the small town leaving many dead and two soldiers holed up in that basement. He shuddered involuntarily at the thought of the mad scientist.

Even though a year had passed, Aerith remained hopeful, especially in her dreams for the future. He couldn't imagine why. Her life in the slums was dismal at best. She lived with that old widow in that small, yet cozy cottage. She could have such a better life with Shinra, at the very least it would get her out of the slums. Anyone in her position, living in the slums, wouldn't hesitate for a second to change their life around and live in luxury on the top plate. Life on the top was such a stark difference to life in the slums.

She was a confusing girl. No, he frowned, not so much confusing. Nothing could confuse him. He was a TURK, and he had seen everything one could imagine, ranging from human experiments, mad scientists, and monsters. She was different, mysterious, and beguiling. He had known her since she was just a girl and he probably knew her better than anyone else, but there were things about her, things, which still remained a mystery to him.

That is why he was here today, watching her from a distance. This is the way it would go most times on these reconnaissance missions. When he did approach her, she would either regard him with the same guarded skepticism she had since her childhood, or she would hand him another letter for the blue-eyed soldier boy. He was her only link to him, and every time he accepted a letter he would get a crushing feeling in his chest. Perhaps it was because he knew the letters would never reach their intended party. He was never the sentimental one. It must've been something else, but as to what it was he couldn't imagine. He decided to watch her from afar instead of approach her because the letters saddened him, even if he would gallantly take them every time. He was up to 21 letters so far, and none of them opened.

People, certain people at Shinra, would talk about his modus operandi regarding Aerith. 'Protecting ones' target is the basics of surveillance…' That was his method for getting Aerith to come to Shinra, on her own freewill. The slums were dangerous for young girls, especially innocent girls. He smirked, as he thought of Aerith as being _innocent_. 'No,' shaking his head, he thought, 'that is what _they_ would say.' They were people who didn't really know her. Zack would've said that, and in fact Zack probably did say that to him about her. Zack never knew the 'real' Aerith.

No, Aerith was much more than an innocent young girl. He knew. There was strength to her despite her weak exterior. He couldn't imagine what kind of strength it was but it was the strength that kept her going and remaining cheerful despite all that had happened to her. She was like one of those flowers that she grew in her church, craning their faces toward the sun even knowing they could never reach it. Anyone else would've turned bitter, angry, and resentful, people like Genesis and Sephiroth.

He had watched her from a distance for so long that it became a part of his life. He used to think that his life was his job, and that was Shinra. Shinra was his life, and then came Aerith. She was part of his work, and his work was his life. _Ah, but she is much more than that, isn't she?_

He mentally punched himself in the gut. He hated those thoughts, and always pushed them aside whenever they would pop up in his head.

He steadied himself against the stonewall as she made her way around the corner. Soon she would be in the play park where she normally sells her flowers during the daytime. His heart was beating at a regular but more rushed than normal pace. He was quiet and still. All he could hear was children playing in the background and her light steps walking up to the entrance. That's odd, usually he would hear the creaking of her flower wagon, as she would wheel it into the park. He peered around the edge to take a closer look and what he saw surprised him.

She was standing in front of the park, as usual, but today was different. She was wearing a pink sundress. It must've been new, because he knew she didn't have many clothes to wear and he had never seen her in pink before. Another thing noticeable was the flower wagon, it was gone, and replaced by a basket that she hung on her arm. He watched as she stood in front of the park, regarding her clients. He could only see her from behind. The wind blew slightly and her dress flittered about the back of her thighs. It then fell back down snuggly caressing her backside. He let out a slight gasp. She turned her head at the sound, and a ray of golden sunshine from a crack in the plate above highlighted her face in profile. He quickly turned his head around the wall, quiet and still as a church mouse, hoping he wasn't too loud. 'She should only know the sun,' he told himself, 'and not the darkness of the slums.'

After a moment went by he heard her steps walk into the park. He sighed in relief. Reconnaissance was his best skill. That's because he's **never** seen. Today she must have just caught him by surprise by changing her look on him. It was safe to go to the edge of the park entrance now. He peaked around the corner and saw nothing there. He quickly made it to the entrance. Pressing his back against the wall he quieted his internal thoughts, just listening to the sounds that surrounded him. All he could hear were the children playing. He opened his eyes. Normally he would hear her by now, plying her trade. Many people came to this park just to buy a flower. They were a real luxury item in a place that desperately needed it.

He peaked around the corner and saw the park and the children playing in it, but no Aerith. 'What the ….' Today has been such an odd day. He tried not to panic, surely nothing could've happened to her. He only lost her for a moment when she walked into the park. He was now standing in front of the entrance staring into the park when he heard a rushing sound behind him. He twirled around, ever ready for an attack but was met, with great surprise, by a smiling Aerith.

"Tseng," she sighed. A slight giggle escaped her lips. He concentrated on those lips, now painted a candy pink tone today. Was she wearing lipstick?

"Aerith," he breathed, trying to make his voice sound harsher than he felt. He didn't know what else to say, usually he would say something about Shinra but today he couldn't find the courage to bring it up. He was too focused on her lips and that smile.

"Hmmm," she looked up questioningly at him. She was teasing him, and he knew it. Innocent she was not!

He steeled his resolve and looked into her eyes. The jade green pools glaring back at him with coquettish charm didn't help his resolve one bit. He decided to turn away from her, at least this way he couldn't be distracted. He crossed his arms. "I see you've lost your flower wagon," he told her matter-of-factly. "Can you sell as many flowers with that basket?"

Aerith looked down at her basket. This gave him a chance to look at her, when she didn't notice. This is what most of the time he spent watching her was like. "No," she sighed. "I guess you're right."

"What did happen to the wagon?" he asked.

Aerith now turned from him. He knew it was to hide something from him. She was always evasive when cornered for the truth. "It got lost," she said as she shrugged her little shoulders.

"Oh," he didn't entirely believe her.

A man walked up to her, one of her regular customers. "Mornin' Aerith."

Aerith beamed, her countenance changing entirely. "Good day to you!"

"Just checking to make sure you're all right," the man spoke. "Heard thieves stole your wagon and gave you quite a scare. I'm glad to know you were able to get away."

He glared at her, and Aerith reddened under his stare. She knew this wouldn't fly by him so easily. "Thank you for your concern, but I'm fine." Aerith told the man. "Here take a flower for good luck." She handed him a yellow lily.

"Thanks," he said, but then jokingly replied, "but you're going to need this more than I do."

As the man walked away Tseng huffed in annoyance. She always keeps things from him. "You need to be more careful," he chided her. _I can't be around all the time to protect you, not unless you come to Shinra. There, I can always be by your side. _

"I know, I know," she twirled around to face him. "I was just careless, that's all."

He grabbed her arm, "Did they hurt you?" His eyes burned into hers. He then looked down at her new pink dress. "Did your blue dress get torn up? Is that the reason for the new dress?" he then asked. He was getting mad. He usually got mad when people did things that he knew would hurt them.

"Always so observant, Tseng," Aerith pulled her arm out of his.

He sighed, quelling his temper. "Shinra could protect you. If you chose to come with us you would never have to worry about thieves or getting harmed." He bit back the emotion in his voice, visualizing what must have happened to her.

Aerith shut her self in after hearing this, throwing his opinions on the matter out of her head. He realized he had gone too far. One talk of Shinra and Aerith was back to her old self again. "No, thank you" she bit back and turned to walk away.

"So it's the same as always. Hmm, Aerith?" She exacerbated him sometimes. She was walking away he had to say something to make her stay. "You know," he then said loudly so she could hear. "Zack isn't hear to protect you anymore."

Aerith stopped in her tracks. She turned to face him. He knew any mention of that name would get her attention. She looked down for a moment, her expression pained, but then she looked back up at him with a smile on her face. "Have you," she asked slowly, but deliberately, "heard anything from him?"

Tseng walked up closer to her. If this was what it took to be near her, so be it. "He's still out on a mission." He lied. Speaking a lie plainly was not only his job, but also a great way to cover the truth.

"Oh," Aerith nodded. She then smiled. "I bought this dress because ..." Tseng looked at the pink dress, which clung ever so slightly to her curves. She smiled. "He told me he wanted to see me in pink."

There again was that sinking feeling in his chest.

"Give this to him," Aerith then handed him a letter. "If you see him, please, Tseng."

He took the letter from her hands. How could he tell her the truth about anything? He just nodded as a response. Aerith started to walk away but before she was gone she turned to him and said, "Zack isn't here, but I have you to protect me, right, Tseng?"

He stared at the now 22nd letter in his possession feeling a mixture of different emotions. All of the sudden a drop fell on the letter and it seeped through the envelope down into the paper inside. He looked up, it was sunny earlier there shouldn't be rain. He then realized it wasn't raining and that that was a tear. He was crying and it was the first time.


End file.
